Georgia wins Ga-SC Cup

The team from Columbus High School in Columbus, GA led the Peach State High School golfers to the win at the 14th Annual GA/SC Cup tournament and captured the team title.

The 14th Georgia – South Carolina Cup brought top high school golf teams from the Peach and Palmetto States together for a 36 hole challenge.

The tournament was played at Village Greens and at Riverfalls Plantation. The event generates a competitive atmosphere due to the pride and sense of responsibility players have in representing their home state.

Ben Carr from Columbus High School shot an opening round 8-under par 64 and won the individual title with a 137 total.

The tournament serves as a showcase for some of the best high school talent in the Southeast, and it is a nationally-ranked event with the Junior Golf Scoreboard organization.

Nine teams from each state compete to win the cup for their state, the team title for their school and the individual title for the top golfer.

The Georgia – South Carolina Cup is won by the state that has the lowest twelve individual 36-hole scores.

The High School teams from Georgia jumped out to a big lead in the first round and made it stand up on the final 18 holes to win the Cup for the second straight year at Riverfalls.

The Georgia golfers held a 16 shot lead after the first round that ballooned to 48 shots by the end of the second round. The final score was Georgia 1735, South Carolina 1783.

“The Georgia golfers can really play,” said Boiling Springs golf coach Josh Pruitt. “They have come here the last couple of years and got the best of us,” he said.

Dorman golfer Nathan Franks won a playoff for second place in the individual competition.

While the margin of victory for the Georgia team was impressive, the South Carolina High School teams were missing some of their best golfers.

The Cup competition fell on the same weekend as the annual SCGA Can-Am matches held in Myrtle Beach. The state association hosts an all-star team from Canada to play against top players from South Carolina.

Two of the most prominent players missing from the Cup competition were a pair of last year’s state champions. Holden Grigg from Myrtle Beach and Trent Phillips, who is the three-time South Carolina Junior golfer of the year.

“I don’t think having Trent with us would have made a difference in the outcome, but the score certainly would have been a lot closer,” said Pruitt.

Columbus High School was last year’s runner-up and this year the team won the title. In fact the top four teams were all from Georgia.

Columbus shot a tournament best 586 to top John’s Creek by five shots.

Christ Church golfer Rafe Reynolds shot a first round 69 and finished tied for sixth place.

Boiling Springs was the top South Carolina team finishing fifth was a 609 total. Christ Church was the second best SC team finishing seventh at 618.

Ben Carr of Columbus used an opening round 64 at Village Greens to take a 5-shot lead over Rafe Reynolds of Christ Church.

“The hole was pretty big for me,” said Carr. “I had a good line on the greens and made a lot of putts,” he said.

Carr made six birdies, an eagle and didn’t have any bogeys while shooting his 8-under par round at the course near Inman.

“When I started the second round I just wanted to keep it together. I sure didn’t want to lose the tournament after shooting that 64,” said the champion.

Dorman golfer Nathan Franks won a four-way playoff for second place. Franks shot identical rounds of 71 to finish with a 142 total, five shots behind Carr.

Reynolds and Boiling Springs Harrison Corbin finished in a tie for sixth place with 1-under par 143 totals.